Bakugan: Alice of the Darkus
by Lewascan2
Summary: There's a reason Alice's element is Darkus. There's a better reason Alice doesn't play Bakugan. The Alice everyone knows and loves is a farce, a tool to play both sides, and a mask to hide her true self, intentions, and disdain for people treating the Bakugan as a game. When the war for the cores is waged and the dust clears, only the strong will stand tall. Dark-Grey Alice AU
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Don't own Bakugan. TT_TT That is all...**

 **AN: *sigh* Why are there no good dark Alice fics for Bakugan? Seriously! The only ones I have found have her with a split personality or being controlled, so that doesn't really count. I intend to do a fic where the Alice everyone thinks is the real one is a mask for someone else, who is on no one's side but, well... You'll just have to read and see.**

Ch 1: Your Inner Silence

"And then, I let him have it with my secret weapon, Frame Fire!" Dan Kuso crowed. "Man, you should have seen me! I was, like, totally wicked! But then again, what would you expect from the world's greatest Bakugan brawler!"

"Whatever," scoffed the blue-nette, Runo Misaki, "I just checked the rankings, and you're sitting at _121_."

Dan looked baffled and frowned. "That's _impossible_ , Runo. I've got to check this one out for myself." He pulled up the rankings and grimaced. She was right, but how could this be? He was one of the famed Battle Brawlers, for Pete's sake! Together, the six of them, Marucho, that jerk- _Shun_ , Julie, Runo, Alice, and himself, in one way or another, were solely responsible for the creation of the Bakugan game and the rules thereof. Had he really been slacking off so much?

Didn't mean he couldn't rub the small details into the pigtailed tomboy's face though.

"Hah, _117_ ," Dan countered, managing to sound more satisfied than miffed.

"Oh _please_ ," growled Runo, "You should save your breath till you break into the top 10."

"Yeah right, like you're one to talk. You're not even _ranked_ ," retorted Dan hotly, before blowing a raspberry childishly.

"Oh, like that's real _mature_!" screeched Runo.

The other Battle Brawlers on the video chat session winced.

* * *

13-year-old Alice Gehabich gave a mental sigh of resigned exasperation. Just _how_ had she ended up associated with these utter _children_ again?

Oh _right_! _First off_ , she had been friends with _Runo_ (She still couldn't decide whether that had been altogether a bad thing or not yet), then, she had met the others through online recommendation by _Runo_ ( _'Thanks for that, by the way,'_ she added sarcastically in her head.), then, she had stuck to handing out refreshments whenever the fledgling group was together in person, and, _somehow_ , that had made them all automatically consider her one of their best friends for some incomprehensible reason. In all honesty, the only one she actually liked and respected was Shun. She was mostly Runo's friend out of pity for the brash tomboy, who didn't have anyone else who could really be called a friends due to her attitude.

Sitting in her room at her grandfather, Michael Gehabich's, estate in Moscow, Russia, Alice went through the usual motions associated with interacting with the mentally inferior teenagers, who had _somehow_ managed to endear themselves to her on some level, despite how annoying they could be. It was ironic how they considered her to be the 'angel' of the Battle Brawlers, considering how she had managed to secretly end up with so many Darkus Bakugan in her possession.

Briefly, Alice turned her attention away from the squabbling of the other Battle Brawlers to slide open a drawer off-screen on the side of her mahogany desk and opened a small box, fingering the multitude of small, black spheres inside before closing it.

She had never brawled before. Not only did the idea -even the _notion_ of conforming to the idea that this was only a _game-_ wrinkle her nose in disdain, but she needed to keep up the persona everyone knew and loved as the only Battle Brawler, who had never brawled, a shy genius, who's winning strategies could have her at number 1 on the Brawler Rankings -instead of Shun- if she were to ever try.

It had been _her_ who had written the rule-book for the _game_ , taking all the ideas thrown around by the other Battle Brawlers, who had already decided on making it into a game (she was ashamed to admit Runo was one of them), and sorting, compressing, and altering those brainwaves into something with at least a hint of decency that satisfied everyone. Though even now, she berated herself for having even _that_ much input into the atrocity that was Bakugan brawling.

If only they all knew how much she truly _despised_ this _game_ , how utterly _disgusted_ she was at how they _literally_ played with the lives of other living creatures.

The only reason she even still associated with the Battle Brawlers -the only reason she hadn't disappeared into obscurity like Shun had already wisely done- was because she _needed_ to be there, to play the part of _sweet, sensitive, utterly innocent_ Alice Gehabich, to make sure those idiots didn't eventually go too far with their naïve machinations.

It was true irony that she should be the one that brought the group full circle, secretly being attuned to Darkus, the final element to the group's veritable Round-Table of Bakugan elements, from the shadows under a wholesome cloak of purity and nativity. Only Shun knew that she even _had_ Bakugan, but he respected her choosing not to brawl, and, even then, he -like everyone else- was unaware of her element, though she was sure he had his suspicions.

Darkus was the element of darkness, and it basically went unsaid among the Bakugan community that your Bakugan reflected your person, and for whatever reason you generally did not find Darkus bakugan unless you were attuned to them or had stolen them.

 _'How very true,'_ Alice decided bitterly. Darkus was a bit of a taboo element, and the wielders of it were very few and far between. People generally gave you a wary and slightly wider berth in the Bakugan community if you had Darkus, so you better bet your bottle caps she kept her element a secret!

Just what would the other Brawlers think if they realized that sweet, innocent Alice was a Darkus type?

* * *

Julie Makimoto gasped and squealed, " _Danny_ , that is _so_ dreamy! 117! That's four whole spots in one day! Definitely worthy of a big _smooch_ from Julie!" Puckering her lips, the tanned albino girl proceeded to give the camera an adoring kiss.

Dan blanched heavily and leaped back with a cry of, " _GROSS_!", tripping over his chair and landing with a truly wince-worthy thud. Rubbing his head, Dan groaned, "Aw man, that _hurt_." He jumped to his feet. "Stop slobbering all over the screen! I'm a Battle Brawler; I'm not your boyfriend," he sniffed.

" _Woah_ ~," Runo deadpanned before scoffing, "This is _so_ kindergarten!"

"You _go_ , Danny! I'll always be your biggest fan in the _world_!" Julie cheered obliviously.

Alice winced mentally with an inaudible sigh; it was all she could do to keep her usual, kindly poker face going. Julie had been so nice before... A little bubbly and eccentric maybe, but the Australian girl had been nice enough... And _then_ the hormones of puberty had hit her all at once, _late_ , and as hard as a freight train on steroids.

 _Good bye_ , brain, and _hello~_ , Dan fan-girl!

Chuckling in amusement at their antics, the youngest and richest of the Battle Brawlers, 11-year-old Marucho Marukura interjected, "Dan, might I suggest you set your sights on Shun? He's ranked number 1, and in a few years, you _could_ surpass him."

"Huh? Uh..." Dan's brows furrowed in frustration, as his jaw clenched.

 _'Not likely,'_ Alice snorted mentally. _'Then again, Shun may be a bit out of practice after all this time, and if Dan really worked at it, he actually might beat him. Perhaps our dear Ventus brawler needs a wake-up call.'_

Out loud she asked, "In a few years? There has to be a way you could challenge him or something, right?" Now that Alice really thought about it, this was a confrontation she would support, if for no other reason than to meet up with Shun face-to-face herself once more. He was ignoring her too, after all, and she was the most innocent in this.

"Hrn, I bet I could take that _jerk_ ," Dan scowled, leaning back in his chair with his arms supporting his head. He sighed and seemed to somber slightly in a way that the Pyrus brawler almost never did, except sometimes when speaking of Shun and his silent defection from the group. It was times like these, that Alice could sometimes see something in him to respect as a person and not just an obnoxious brat. "I don't _mean_ to brag y'know, but no one's even come _close_ to challenging me." He let out a long breath. "Better look out, Shun, because I'm gonna' take you _down_."

Alice just shook her head.

* * *

Five minutes of nonsensical squabbling later, Alice finally couldn't take any more and politely excused herself, faking drowsiness with a forced yawn and a smile. As usual, everyone bought it without a thought. After all, in their eyes, Alice Gehabich could do no wrong -such was her reputation, and that was just how she wanted it.

As the video chat clicked off with a beep, Alice's shoulders sagged, and she leaned back in her chair. It seemed that all the Battle Brawlers did anymore these days was argue and brawl. They didn't even really take brawling all that seriously anymore; it was just a _game_ to them, a game they had invented and were some of -if not _the_ , best at. Being part of the group was lately starting to become more trouble than it was worth.

She reached into the pocket of her yellow dress and pulled out a single, black sphere.

 _'Reaper,'_ she sighed, turning her powerful Bakugan over in her palm a few times. She let out a deep exhale and closed her eyes. In _retrospect_ and considering the fact that these Bakugan _were_ living and independent creatures, she really should have expected at least _one_ of them out there would be overjoyed by the idea of constant, vicious, heart-pounding battles.

Darkus Reaper was one of those few, and he hadn't been happy to find out she never intended to battle. His rants had been long-winded and loud, but he had stopped eventually and had not spoken to her since. Alice hated it, the silent loathing. She didn't understand why anyone would really want that kind of life, a life of constant conflict and bloodshed. Alice sighed. Then again, that was the point; she _didn't_ understand.

Reaper could _really_ hold a grudge. Not like Darkus Hydranoid. No, he was completely loyal to her and seemed bound to her will entirely, immediately deferring to her decision to remain separate from the Battle Brawling community in all but name, _despite_ being arguably even _more_ blood-thirsty than Reaper!

Reaper had called him a pansy and scoffed that it was his own fault for having Alice as a master. The girl soon learned that Hydranoid's particular Bakugan species was powerful but had the oddest quirk of being unable to survive without an absolute master. It frightened Alice a bit to know she had such control over any living, thinking being.

If it were any other way, Alice would have had nothing to do with Hydranoid. However, due to his dependence on her, she couldn't _not_ take him around with her. The separation from her -as his master- might not be healthy for him; it could even be outright _deadly_ due to how dependent he was. _Granted_ , she _never_ took him out of her pocket, but still...

Alice frowned, stuffed Reaper back into her pocket, and began rubbing her temples in small circles with her lithe fingers. She _needed_ to get her mind off Bakugan for a bit. Maybe she'd go see what her grandfather was doing in his lab.

Smiling, Alice stood and nodded to herself in confirmation. That was a good idea; his technological mumbo-jumbo would be _sure_ to clear all troublesome thoughts from her head. _'If for no other reason than how I'll be half brain-dead by the time he finishes explaining how whatever it is he's been working on actually functions,'_ she giggled mentally.

* * *

Somewhere beyond the dimensional veil in the volcanic realm of Pyrus, a sinister white dragon hurtled through the air towards his ultimate prize. Finally, he had reached his destination, an area where the dimensional veil was weaker, when a voice roared, **"NAGA, WAIT!"**

"Out of my way, Drago," snarled Naga's raspy voice, as a red dragon, adorned with yellow horns and spikes, barreled through the space in front of him, cutting him off.

" _Why_ are you so _obsessed_ with gaining all this power, Naga?!" demanded the Pyrus Dragonoid with a desperate hiss. "You _must_ know that it will only lead to your ultimate _destruction_!"

 **"Silence!"** commanded Naga with a boom. Drago flinched. As powerful as he was, he wasn't sure he could stop Naga completely on his own. "You have no idea of what we _feel_ inside! You know **_nothing_** of our world!"

"I suspect you were the one behind the human they call, Michael," snarled Drago, eyes narrowing dangerously. "What I'd like to know is: _where_ did you find him?"

"Eh heh, hah hah hah!" Naga cackled, before smirking and holding up a card between his pearly talons. "Do you know what this is?" he taunted.

Drago's eye narrowed further, but before he could stop him, Naga hurled the card into the rift, opening a strange, rippling, rectangular gateway. "A portal!"

"Yes!" crowed Naga victoriously, lunging for the gateway. "It leads to the source of the **power**!"

 **"Boosted Dragon!"** roared Drago without warning, expelling a massive fireball, that Naga barely dodged. With a bellow, Drago gave his wings a powerful flap and slammed the claws of his feet into the shoulders of Naga, who had been surprised by the ferocity and suddenness of the attack. "I'll stop you no matter what! **Boosted dragon**!" Drago inhaled deeply and exhaled his volcanic payload down directly into Naga's face.

 **" _No0O0o0O_!"** Naga howled in rage with the agony of having his face slowly but surely melted, thrashing and tearing his shoulders free of Drago's powerful grasp at the cost of having the armor shorn from his shoulders in bloody, scaly chunks. He twisted midair, and his tail lashed across Drago's face, sending the Dragonoid spiraling wildly through the air. **"I have come _too far_ , and I will _not_ be bested by some lowly upstart _Draganoid_!"**

Drago roared in defiance and fired off two more large fireballs. Naga snarled and spiraled wildly to avoid them, darting downward and pulling-off a midair flip, before slamming his feet into the slower Bakugan's face and using the momentum to propel himself back towards the portal and launch Drago downward, as Drago watched his escape helplessly, only to catch a whirling, purple bolt of plasma to the chest as extra insurance.

"With **luck** , we shall _not_ meet again!" Naga spat venomously, as he passed through the opening in the rift; the portal began to close behind him. " _Onward_ to _Vestroia_ and _**power**_!"

 **"NO!"** shouted Drago, flying upwards after the white dragon, but it was _far_ too late. It would only be moments later that the world began to shake, and everything literally began to fall apart.

* * *

"...and so, I believe that these Bakugan creatures can _only_ appear in our world in the form of a ball," Alice's grandfather, Michael Gehabich, reported into the face of a video camera, as he made record of his discoveries into dimensional travel and transportation. "Also, only on the battlefield, which has the same dimensional structure as Vestroia, can they go back to their original form. I- Hrm?"

A buzzer sounded from the door, interrupting him. Due to the nature of his experiments, Dr. Gehabich found it prudent to keep the door locked, just in case something went wrong and someone got hurt. Ugh, so many lawsuits. It wasn't his fault if other people were far too stupid to know when not to poke their noses into dangerous, sparking things. That was just _begging_ to be turned inside-out, especially when dealing with dimensional physics.

However, because he turned around at that moment, he did not notice a cloud of dark miasma, overflowing with negative energy, beginning to seep into his lab through the Dimension Transporter system.

He typed in the code for the lock without fuss, and the steel doors hissed open. Into the doorway stepped Alice Gehabich, who smiled a small, mentally-tired smile. He returned the smile; he knew interacting with those Battle Brawler friends of hers always seemed to quickly wear on her. "How are you, Grandfather, and how is your project c-?" She paused and backed up, before pointing with furrowed brows. "Is it supposed to be doing that?"

Dr. Gehabich spun around in alarm at her question, as the cloud of negative energy roiled and pulsed chaotically.

Now in another version of this universe somewhere out there, where a truly kindly and naïve Alice and her grandfather stood stunned into inaction, both would be subjected to the full power of a mega-dimensional nova of Silent energy. Dr. Gehabech would become Hal-G, and Alice would develop a second personality, who was everything she wasn't, known as the cruel, powerful brawler, Masquerade.

However, _this_ wasn't that dimension. _This_ wasn't that Alice. And Dr. Gehabich was _not_ stunned into inaction.

"Get back, Alice!" he yelled.

Something quickly slammed into her chest, even as Alice took another step back, causing her to trip backwards out the doors just as they were closing. Alice could only gasp in stunned surprise, momentarily unable to comprehend why her grandfather would shove her so hard, as an explosion of violet energy lashed out through the doors just before they could close, catching her in the chest and followed by a rippling shockwave that dashed her against the far wall with bone-shaking force. For a moment, Alice knew only blindly-mind-shattering pain, and then, everything went dark.

* * *

Alice felt like she was floating weightless in a void. It was a pleasant and at the same time completely unsettling sensation. At first, Alice's mind rejected the possibility of her being in such a situation as impossible just on principal, but then she open her eyes.

Ruins and blackness, flecked with brief flashes of multicolored lightning ruled the area. Arranged around her in a circle in the void were six solitary vortexes of otherworldly power. The colors were familiar and distinctive; for a moment, her breath caught in her throat.

" _N-No way_ ," she whispered after a heartbeat, idly noting how her voice seemed to echo oddly in this place. "This can't be- _Vestroia_?" Considering how much Reaper and Hydranoid had babbled when she first obtained them, Alice knew at least the _basics_ about the Bakugan worlds.

 **"An excellent observation, little human girl,"** rumbled a raspy, powerful voice. Looking down, Alice saw herself to be 'standing' above a massive, purple sphere, roiling with arcane, unnatural energy. She felt the utterly _massive_ power of, well, _whatever_ this was _resonate_ with her, pour into her, empower her. Being near it was like drinking from a tall glass of water in a desert. She was almost pulled into the feeling, but there was an innate feeling of danger in doing that, and she shook her head vigorously, trying to focus on _anything_ else.

 **"Interesting, Hal-G, wouldn't you say?"** came the rumbling, raspy voice again. **"Her body seems to have taken a true shine to Silent energy; it resonates with her in perfect harmony. The power of Silence suits her well, and she suits it."**

 **"Indeed it does!"** cackled a voice behind her.

Alice jerked around -even as a small voice inside her wondered how she had obtained the traction to do that in a void- to the sight of a tall, green-skinned, old man, wearing a garish, black cape and a maniacal smile of glee, rubbing his hands together like a giddy child in a candy store.

 **"Her aura hasn't even split! It's adapted and changed! Quite unique!"** Hal-G announced gleefully.

Alice felt a sudden, irrational burst of annoyance bleed visibly onto her features at being talked about like she wasn't there, and the girl was unable to stop herself from scowling openly at them. Her eye twitched; the Alice she showed everyone did _not_ _scowl_ , she would maybe shake her head or, at worst, tut disapprovingly, but for these people, _here_ in _Vestroia_ of all places... _Well_ , it looked like she could make some exceptions.

"Excuse _me_ ," she hissed dangerously at the large, skinny troll, "But just who the _hell_ are you people, and how are we here?!" She made a wide gesture to everything around them. She blinked in surprise once more. Since _when_ did she curse, even in anger? What was _with_ her lack of control right now?!

The troll actually _tut'ted_ at her question. **"My dear Alice, I always thought you such a fragile girl. Shows what _I_ know, considering how perfectly you've assimilated your power."**

Alice glared at him, eyes narrowed. "I am not your _dear_ , weirdo. What are you talking about? Am I seriously supposed to... know... _you_?" She took a closer look at him and then gaped. Truly, it was the same hair and glasses... just, wilder... _crazier_... mad as a fricking hatter. "G- _Grandfather_? Wha-? What is _this?!_ What happened to you?"

 **"Oh?"** Hal-G blinked, before grinning. **"Shouldn't you be asking the same about yourself?"**

"What are you t-? How would I-?" Alice blinked and then gave herself a look over, only to have blonde hair waver into her vision. She stiffened and then padded herself over, fingers lingering most on the long, curly, blonde locks currently replacing her orange hair. "What the hell is going on?!"

Her green blouse had seemingly been replaced by a black, form-fitting tank-top and her yellow dress by a white trench coat with short sleeves. She also had on baggy, purple pants tucked inside black boots; and gloves. The whole ensemble was also covered with odd buckles in places that gave the slight impression of someone having tried to dress her in some sort of mutant straight-jacket and failing horribly. It was an unnerving look, all in all. They were Darkus colors she noted; her eyes narrowed, and she turned her attention towards the Silent core, spying for the first time a dark, hazy outline inside and a glowing, red eye.

"What's Silent energy? What did it do to me and Grandfather?"

 **"It's actually _Hal-G_ , now, dear,"** Hal-G pointed out with an impish grin, only to have Alice actually snarl at him.

Alice was feeling really weird, this situation was weird, her Grandfather was being weird, and even _more_ importantly, her clothes were weird! Everything about this whole situation was pissing her off. Her negative emotions all seemed to be on serious hair triggers. She had little to _no_ control, and she hated it! This whole situation was so far beyond hope of going back, that it was just managing to piss her off even more! Why was she so angry?! Why was she so annoyed?! Why couldn't she control her emotions like she had always done?! Dwelling on it, only made the problem worse!

Something had gradually begun bubbling up inside of her, and Alice grit her teeth, as her hands went to her pounding head. As Hal-G continued to babble on nonsensically, something inside Alice seemed to _snap_ , and a feeling that could be associated with little else but _raw power_ screamed through her suddenly, venting her frustrations out and releasing a brilliant pulse of negative energy that could have temporarily blinded the unprepared. Alice rode out the explosion of energy till the end and sagged suddenly, feeling much, _much_ , better and breathing hard from exertion.

 **"Are you quite done throwing your little tantrum?"** Hal-G asked flatly.

Alice whirled on Hal-G, eye twitching, but stopped, closed her eyes, and took a deep, calming breath, letting it out slowly and counting to ten. Her eyes snapped open again in a glare. " _WELL, excuse me_ , if some people don't just find the idea of being turned into some kind of circus _freak_ just absolutely the best thing since sliced bread, you _blithering fuck-nugget_!" she hissed.

 **" _Oi_ , I resent that,"** Hal-G retorted flatly.

 **"You have spunk, child, but the full scope of this matter is currently beyond you,"** spoke the booming voice.

Alice turned to the Silent core. "Is this _thing_ I'm feeling inside of me, that did this, Silent energy? What _is_ that, and who are you?"

 **"I am Naga, the most _powerful_ Bakugan _alive_ , one of the two White Ones,"** boomed the voice. **"Silent energy is but one power of two, along with the Infinity power of the Infinity core, which empowers and holds the Bakugan worlds in balance. However, I find myself sealed within the Silent core in my quest, and only the power of the Infinity core can see me freed currently."**

Alice decided it really wouldn't be the wisest thing to comment on how Naga couldn't possibly be as all powerful as he thought he was, considering how he was trapped so completely, so she remained silent and committed his words to memory.

Then _again_ , who was she to judge? He _could_ very well be the most powerful Bakugan alive, just like he said; he just obviously wasn't more powerful than the Silent core.

 **"Naga and I have been working together for quite some time now," Hal-G said. "I didn't expect you would get involved in any of our interactions so soon."**

"So, it worked then," Alice stated with narrowed eyes. All this time, she had wondered why the Bakugan had appeared on Earth, trapped and helpless within tiny spheres, and it had been _them_ , Naga and her own _grandfather_ - _right under her nose_! "You _did_ manage to travel to another dimension, just like you always talked about doing. I suppose this means your machinations here together are what are responsible for all the Bakugan appearing on Earth."

 **"Naturally,"** Hal-G grinned.

"Why?" Alice demanded, there was a dangerously cold tone in her voice. Perhaps she could accept him being responsible for this because of inflicted madness, but she was rather sure her grandfather had never had any sort of affliction prior to today. That meant he had been completely lucid and caused all this of his own volition!

 **"Why?"** Hal-G blinked.

"There is an entire _race_ of beings being enslaved by _children_ as nothing more than trinkets and play-things," Alice snarled. "Just what is this all _about_?!"

Hal-G frowned and then tilted his head with a grin. **"Why it's about power, of course! It's all to make Naga the most powerful Bakugan in the universe, and then he shall rule over all as the most mighty of ascended creatures!"**

 _'That was_ all _?! Was that their entire reason?! Could anyone_ possibly _be so selfish as to doom the entirety of their own race to the demeaning fate of being children's toys or worse?!'_ Alice was truly and utterly _baffled_ by the sheer scope and _gall_ of his crimes and could only clench her jaw, trembling with rage, as she glared but said nothing. _'Right, stupid question, because Naga obviously_ could _be!'_

Naga rolled his eyes. **"Oh brilliant, she's one of those _honorable_ types."**

Hal-G shrugged, unconcerned, and placed a hand on Alice's shoulder. She barely refrained from jerking away. **"My dear Alice, it's a concept hard to comprehend for someone like you I'm sure, but don't worry. Soon you'll see how your new power of Silent energy helps you, and then you'll understand perfectly."**

Alice chose not to respond; she was in no position to do anything against them, whether she liked it or not. Despite how powerful they seemed to think she was or could be, she _currently_ had absolutely _zero_ control over whatever this stuff inside her was, and these two had both power and control in spades, even if one of them was trapped inside a giant bowling ball.

She scowled, when Hal-G patted her on the head fondly. Hal-G smirked and then turned to Naga. **"I'm sure it's mostly just a bad case of culture shock."** He patted her head again, only to receive another scowl.

 **"We have important things to discuss,"** Naga rumbled. **"Send the whelp back to Earth till she can actually be of some use to me with her powers. I will summon for her then."**

Hal-G grinned and held up a card, ripping open a rectangular, flashing gateway, and took hold of Alice's arm with a smirk, placing the card in her hand. **"Just think of where you want to go, and it will take you. Have a fun trip!"** he called, throwing her in. The gateway closed before his ears could catch her string of creative curses.

* * *

In Alice's room in the Gehabich estate, Alice came hurtling face-first out of a rectangular portal.

"Son of a motherless goat- _oof_!" Alice grunted, as she impacted the floor. The Dimensional Transport Card came fluttering past her to land by her head a moment later. "Great," she sighed. "Just _brilliant_." She noticed the echoing lilt to her voice had remained even after returning to Earth, so she assumed it was part of her transformation.

The girl twitched after moment and then took her time getting up and brushing the imaginary dust off her white trench coat. She picked up the Dimensional Transport Card and her eye twitched in annoyance, before she placed it in her pocket. It was official, she was _not_ amused by this new grandfather of hers.

She looked back down at her outfit and grimaced, before walking into her room's bathroom and seeing something in the mirror she hadn't before, because the tint was obviously clear from the inside.

Covering her face was a massive set of triangular blue shades with a black and purple band, which together obscured all but a triangular space including her nose and mouth. The shades were _**thick**_ to the outside observer, and there was absolutely nothing they covered that could be seen. She didn't see even a _hint_ of her former self looking back at her from the mirror, save perhaps for the fact that she was a girl.

Frowning, Alice reached up and removed the shades from her face to assess the damage inflicted underneath by the Silent energy, only to blink in surprise, when her elaborate outfit and blonde hair returned to normal in a flash of multicolored light. She blinked once more in shock and then looked down at the shades.

Quickly her hands traveled all over her hair and body, confirming that she wasn't just hallucinating out of hopefulness. Picking up the mask -for it had become one by losing the hooks for ears when she transformed back- again, Alice frowned and turned it over, raising it up to her face.

In another flash, she once more stood transformed by the strange negative energy -Silent energy- she could feel inside her body now like a foreign limb. _'Well, it could be a lot worse. At least, I actually look human and not like something from Mars like Gra-_ Hal-G _does now,'_ she corrected herself with a scowl. She was doing that scowling thing a lot more lately. _'And I can turn back without any trouble; that's a relief.'_

Alice removed her mask and became herself again, yellow dress, orange hair, and all. She blinked; she _felt_ more like herself without the mask on. Alice took a slow, deep breath and sighed in relief. Oh _yes_ , she felt _much_ better now. She looked up into the bathroom mirror and gave herself one of her usual, sweet smiles that others knew her by. Unfortunately, she came off looking bit strained and tired, but that could be worked around with dedicated practice.

She looked down at her reflection in the blue lenses of the shades and frowned. It was strange, but she could sort of _feel_ the shades with more than just her sense of touch if she concentrated. Somehow, this article was now an important part of her as much as any vital organ, and it seemed to hold the negative energy of the Silent core at bay for as long as she did not wear it.

That was very good news. Her brows furrowed. What to do with it though; she couldn't have the mask getting damaged. It appeared to act as a seal for her negative energy. She needed it to be safe and out of the way. She needed it to-

"Disappear?" she muttered lightly with eye-brows raised surprise, as the mask dissolved into tiny motes of light and flowed into her chest.

Well... that was _all kinds_ of convenient. Alice's face broke out into a wide, genuine smile -the first of the day. Maybe this whole mess wouldn't be as bad as she had first perceived, after all...

She was still moving to Wardington as soon as possible, though, without a doubt _at all_. She would rather deal with the Battle Brawlers 24-7 than her now-insane skinny troll of a grandfather.

Suddenly, something wriggled it's way out of her pocket and bounced off the floor and onto her desk. " _Yahoo!_ I feel like a new Bakugan!" crowed Reaper, bouncing about, as his ball form clicked open. " _Damn_ , what a rush! Just _what_ have you been _doing_ lately, brat?! Finally had a change of heart, because I've got calories to burn! Aw _yeah_!"

Alice twitched and groaned. Then _again_ , if Reaper was suddenly this active again while she was around them...

* * *

 **AN: And done! Plot bunny written and posted! Several things were changed here, obviously, but that's why it's an AU!**

 **It always bothered me in the show that Drago basically just stood there, when Naga went after the Infinity and Silent cores. He _really_ should have put up a better fight than mere words. I mean, seriously, he was _right there_! Ergo, I wrote a short but hopefully epic battle to replace that slight against Drago's awesomeness.**

 **Yes, Alice will _not_ have a split personality. So there will be no Masquerade... at least, not in the conventional sense. Chew on that why don't you? *cackles evilly***

 **Her attire when transformed is basically Masquerade's except her hair doesn't stick up weirdly and is just turned blonde and more curly and it's tailored for a female.**

 **Anywho, Read and Review! Or not. *shrugs* I just really wanted to get this written and out there before I lost my sudden bout of inspiration.**


	2. Ch 2: Your Inner Darkus

**Disclaimer: Don't own Bakugan. TT_TT That is all...**

 **AN: Well, response was decent, considering Bakugan isn't the most popular of fan-bases, so here goes! Gotta' get that word count up!**

Ch 2: Your Inner Darkus

Reaper turned to Alice seriously, really only managing to look vaguely amusing with his tiny ball form, and said, " _Please_ tell me you have someone you want me to butcher into tiny bloody chunks."

" _Ugh_ ," deadpanned Alice, turning her head away with a roll of her eyes and rubbing both sides of her temple with two fingers. Reaper's tiny head instantly sported a tick-mark.

"Don't _toy_ with me, girl!" Reaper screeched in his scratchy, deep voice unhappily. "I _need_ to fight something! I've been freaking sleeping - _me: sleeping_ \- in order to deal with your ridiculous foolishness, but now I have _far_ too much energy to do even _that_! I'll go stir crazy if I don't get some action! _Please_ , I'm actually _begging_ you right now! _YOU_ , of all pathetic humans!"

And _there_ went her chances of acting like none of the events from earlier ever happened.

Alice huffed and rolled her eyes towards the ceiling, muttering venomously, " _Well_ , if you've got a beat on a Bakugan called Naga, then we can start from there..."

" _Naga_? Who's that?" Reaper asked, yellow eyes glimmering in anticipation.

"Never mind," Alice sighed in disappointment, clucking her tongue. "If you haven't even _heard_ of him, then, _no offense_ , but I don't think you're quite up to his _level_." She finished that statement off with a patronizing eye-roll, that Reaper chose to ignore for now. She had his interest.

Reaper blinked (metaphorically, of course, considering his current form) and then whistled lowly. "Oh, this guy is dead." He laughed -a deep, scratchy sound. "Someone actually managed to get right down to the nitty-gritty center of the _real_ you, didn't they, brat?" If he could have, Reaper would have grinned at the clenching of her fists. "This must have something to do with the power rush I felt moments ago. I may be sealed in this pathetic form, but even now, I can feel something strange within your body; it seems like the Darkus attributes of your being have been enhanced somehow."

Oh no. No _way_ was she letting him use this against her!

Alice's eyes narrowed, and her irritation suddenly reached near critical mass, negative energy beginning to seep out through the seal of the mask within her into a menacing, oozing, black aura, which caused the very air of the room to darken and caused the colors of the world around them to dull.

In that moment, Reaper, merciless, bloodthirsty, battle-and-death-hardened soldier of the Darkus realm, felt for the first time in years something akin to true, unfettered _terror_ slide down his spine like the most figid of soul-rending ice, gripping him like the solid-iron vice of a Centipoid, swallowing him whole like the gaping maw of a Wormquake. For a moment, the Darkus poster-boy of death felt like he was being glared-down by Death embodied.

Reaper made a _very_ wise decision right then, and he very humbly -if he did say so himself- _shut the hell up_.

The newly-made Doom Being brought all of her force of will to bear on Reaper within her glare in that moment and stated to him then in the coldest, most utterly- _dangerous_ tone to have ever escaped her mouth, "For your own safety, _Darkus Reaper_ , I would advise you to not speak of such things under _any_ circumstances, till they become necessary as deemed by _me_. Any such action to the contrary _will_ be met with my best attempts to send you to wherever it is your kind deems the lowest form of despair and _hell_. I hear Hydranoid was birthed there."

Reaper unconsciously cringed. Alice _never_ called anyone by their whole title -especially Bakugan- unless she was _really pissed_. Still though, Reaper had never been one to back down entirely to anyone. He scowled at her and grumbled, "Whatever, brat. If you're _that_ serious, I won't say a word, but we're _still_ going brawling." Alice scoffed and gave him a last glare, turning away and flopping down onto her bed, too mentally and physically drained to deal with him further.

Mentally, Reaper grinned, broadly and menacingly, even as lingering chills still leapt up and down his spine. It was in moments like these -though, _certainly_ not as intense, when he could see the side of Alice that could be truly _great_. When that side came out, all -even him- were forced to bend to her absolute will, and this new dark power of hers practically made that _literal_. _This_ was the Alice, who Reaper wanted for a master, and he would do just about _anything_ to break her out of the weak shell she clung to as a disguise.

He was a _soldier_ -a warrior even, and no commander of _his_ would dare even _entertain_ the idea to others that they were weak and submissive. Reaper would see the ultimate brawler within Alice Gehabich released or _bust_!

* * *

Her computer beeped, and Alice groaned into her pillow. The Battle Brawlers were calling another meeting; she couldn't take much more of this, not after Naga, Hal-G, and Reaper. Today was just turning out to be longer and _longer_ , and Alice could feel a small headache beginning to build.

Huffing, the orange-haired girl popped up, stomped over to Reaper, and quickly snatched him off her desk, ignoring his outraged protests, as she stuffed him into her pocket once more. "Be _quiet_!" she hissed. "I am really not feeling well enough to deal with this from you right now, Reaper, and you _know_ I don't want them knowing about you."

"Oh, _what_ , are you embarrassed of me or something? Such cowardice from my lady; I'm appalled -shocked really. Truly," Reaper taunted. Alice responded with a smack through the fabric of her pocket, and he shut up... for now, at least.

With a sigh of relief, Alice began the process of firing up the webcam and entering the chat room, where Marucho, Runo and Julie were already logged in. Alice took a deep breath, schooled her features, and smiled warmly but tiredly, "Hey, guys."

"Hey, Alice!" Runo piped up with a grin. "We're just waiting on Da- _Woah_ , guess you weren't joking about feeling under the weather! You look _terrible_ \- err... No, offense."

Alice waved her off with a sigh, realizing she likely had not cleaned up from her venture. Her clothes were clearly severely ruffled, and her long hair was a mess. " _I-It's_... been a seriously _long_ day. I just _really_ need some rest right now."

" _Gosh_ , sorry to disturb you, then, Alice," Marucho murmured apologetically.

"There's no need to apologize. _Really_ ," Alice replied with a forced smile. Marucho could be rather adorable at times due to his age and size, but he was almost often more mature than any of the older Battle Brawlers due to his status and the subsequent responsibilities drilled into him by his parents. The others gave her looks of pity.

"We're just waiting on Danny, now," Julie said. "When he-" She paused and grinned widely. "Oh, there he is now!"

Dan's chat screen flashed into existence, as the boy in question sat at his desk.

"Dan, you're finally there," Marucho grinned.

"Hey, guys, you're _not_ going to believe this, _but_...!" Dan suddenly started with a face-splitting grin, getting the others' attention. "I was brawling with this guy named Shuji, when I thought I heard my Bakugan _talk_."

The others gaped, Alice for once also looking visibly shell-shocked. And she was. She didn't even have to fake surprise and interest for once.

" _No way_ ," Runo gasped. "You _too_?"

 _'Even more of them?!'_ Alice baffled mentally, glancing at Runo.

Dan blinked, perplexed. "What do you mean, Runo? You sayin' someone else heard them too?"

"You should log-on to the Bakugan site!" Julie trilled, unusually condescending for a moment. "It's what everyone's talking about, _Dan_."

 _'This_ must _have something to do with Naga's foolishness! The chances of it just being a coincidence are far too low,'_ Alice thought, as they watched Dan's face go through a variety of expressions. _'It must not have been just Reaper that felt so energized.'_ She harrumphed mentally.

"So, It _did_ talk! Maybe the Bakugan world has more to it than we thought," Dan gasped in surprise.

 _'No shit, Sherlock,'_ Alice deadpanned mentally. Suddenly, a most _unwelcome_ voice interjected from behind Alice's point of view, causing her to stiffen sharply.

" _So_ , the rest of the Bakugan are _finally_ growing into their spines, then?! It's about _damn time_!"

The other Battle brawlers gave Alice's screen an odd look.

"Uh, Alice," Julie asked cautiously. "You got something in your throat?"

Alice just sighed and blushed, shoulders slumping. "Oh _no_." Her forehead thumped down onto her desk. Why did the fates hate her so much today? This was looking to go so many different kinds of wrong.

"Huh? What's the matter?" Runo asked with a frown.

The other Brawlers were surprised, when a black sphere bounced on-screen onto the desk by Alice's head and snapped open. "What's up, meat-bags? Your lord and master has arrived, and now the bloodbath can begin!"

The other Brawlers blanched simultaneously at his proclamation, and then blanched even more-so when the still face-down Alice responded blandly, "I _thought_ I stuck you in the drawer."

" _Nope_. Pocket," Reaper retorted proudly.

Alice's eye twitched, as she looked up at him. "My _mistake_. Must have been the lack of sleep. I'll be _sure_ not to let it happen _ever_ again."

Reaper scoffed. "The sheer awesome of my might is too much for a puny human mind such as yours to comprehend, and it could not _possibly_ be contained by a mere _drawer_! This outcome was always inevitable, human! And _now_ that it has come to pass, there is nothing stopping us from utterly _crushing_ all who dare to stand in our way into dust particles!"

"That's _not_ how it works!" snapped Alice with a huff, a vein bulging slightly on her forehead from a spike in blood pressure. "No way! This doesn't change anything."

"Hah, you're just a _coward_!" Reaper accused. "You're always like this! Just get over yourself already, brat! There are your Bakugan's feelings to think about and not just your aversion to conflict!"

Alice's cheeks puffed-up in indignation, and she snatched Reaper off the desk, trapping him inside both her cupped hands, as he shouted profanities. "Ooohh~ _you_! You know it's _not_ like that, _Reaper_!"

The other brawlers blinked in surprise. They'd never seen Alice get quite so flustered and visibly frustrated, and since _when_ did _she_ have a Bakugan -and a _talking_ one at that?!

"Err... Alice?" Runo ventured. "Are you going to introduce us?"

" _Not the time_!" snapped Alice, hands struggling to stay closed around the Darkus Bakugan, who was turning out to be surprisingly strong even in his sealed state. When they flinched, she blanched and took a deep breath, sighing and calming down significantly. In a moment, the innocent mask was back in place completely. " _Oh_ ~, I'm _so sorry_ , guys, but he just gets on my nerves like _nothing_ else. I have the oddest lapses of judgment and temperament when he's about. S-So needless to say, I prefer to keep him out of sight."

Dan blinked with eyes narrowed, being unusually and rather scarily perceptive for once. "What? So, you're saying you've had him for a while then, and he talked back then too? How come you never said anything?"

Alice realized her slip and blushed hotly at the other Battle Brawlers' sudden scrutiny. _'Damn it, why did I say that?! I'm screwed!'_ She gave herself a mental slap. _'Don't talk like that, Alice! You've got this! You can pull through with the power of half-truths!'_

"W-Well, it's just..." She ducked her head in embarrassment. "I-I didn't know w-what you'd guys would say. I-I've said it before," she straitened up, "but I _don't_ brawl. I-It's just not my thing, b-but all these Bakugan just seem to _find_ me."

"You have _more_?!" Runo yelled in surprise. "What kinds?" Alice ducked her head and murmured something unintelligible to the group.

"Err... What was that?" Dan squinted at the screen. "I didn't quite catch it."

"Oh _lay off_ , Dan," Runo snapped, before returning her attention to the matter at hand. "Alice?"

Alice sighed and looked away. "T-They're all Darkus."

"Darkus!" Dan exclaimed.

"No way!" declared Runo.

"Aren't those sort of uncommon?" asked Marucho.

"How many do you have?" Julie asked.

"W-Well, enough to have lost count. Though, t-that's not really saying much," Alice murmured. "I-It's not like I _really try_ to keep track, b-but there's enough to fill a lunch box." She sighed and actually grumbled a little for show. "Ugh, I don't even try, and they seem to be drawn to me like moths to a bug-zapper."

"I resent that! I'm not some pathetic insect!" Reaper declared through her fingers. Alice simply clamped her hands tighter.

" _Your_ words, not mine," she retorted smugly.

"Don't put sentences in my mouth!" snapped Reaper.

"So~," Julie trilled, "you're going to introduce us to the little cutie, right?"

" _Yeah_ , don't leave us hangin'!" Dan demanded.

"Hah! Told you!" Reaper piped-up victoriously.

 _'Damn it._ Damn you _, Reaper. I_ will _find some way to punish you_ severely _for this; you can count on it!'_ Alice winced and sighed in resignation. She opened her hands and held the ebony Bakugan up to the screen. "E-Everyone, m-meet Darkus Reaper."

"Hah-hah!" Reaper crowed, even as he winced at her usage of his full title. _Oh_ , he was in _so_ much trouble. There was no mistaking that. No matter how well she fooled the other children, Reaper _knew_ Alice was _very_ angry.

"Oh wow, he looks tough," Julie said with stars in her eyes. "You're so lucky, Alice!"

"Wicked," Dan muttered. "Man, you're awesome, Alice."

"Good for you, Alice," Runo smiled. Alice blushed at the lack of a negative reaction.

It was kind of funny, Alice decided, that she could fuel her fake blushes with ones of anger, whilst schooling her face into her usual mask. Her fingers twitched dangerously with the desire to crush the sealed creature in her hand into dust. Alice shook off the feeling. Calm was required here; she could be angry when she didn't have an audience.

Marucho was frowning at something off-screen and then adjusted his glasses in surprise. "Interesting." The others gave him their attention. "Darkus Reaper's not in the data-base. The one you hold in your hand would be the first encountered to date. He's a one-of-a-kind you've got there, Alice."

Reaper scoffed. "Well, obviously!"

Alice rolled her eyes mentally.

"Man, this blows," Dan grumbled after a moment. "Wish Drago would talk to me again. I swear, I heard him."

" _Can it_ , jerk, this is Alice's moment," Runo snapped.

Reaper snorted. "That hard-ass, _Drago_ -as you say, is as stubborn as they come. He won't talk to you unless he _feels_ like it."

Dan sat back in his seat and sulked with his arms crossed.

"Ah well," sighed Dan; a moment later, he suddenly perked up. "Hey, Alice, you've gotta' let me brawl you sometime; I'll bet it would be awesome to put my Drago against your Reaper!"

"Hah, now that sounds like a plan, human!" Reaper agreed. "I've been looking forward to a rematch between myself and that overgrown lava lizard!"

"I-I d-don't think so," Alice mumbled, glaring briefly at Reaper.

" _What_?!" Reaper yelled. "Still?!"

"Huh? Why not?" Dan asked cluelessly. "It's, like, the best game ever! Your Bakugan seems excited enough."

Alice's eyes suddenly narrowed dangerously at him, and the other Brawlers inched away from their screens in apprehension. Alice fixed Dan with a steady gaze that bordered on evolving into a frigid one. "You know _what_? It's that _exact_ attitude that lets me know just how useless an explanation would be." She let out a deep exhale and glared outright. " _You_ could _never_ understand. _No-one_ who willingly _plays_ Bakugan could _ever_ understand."

 _Boop_.

With that, she logged-out, leaving the chat room in stunned silence at the girl's sudden snap.

"Intense," muttered Marucho, licking his suddenly dry lips nervously, as Julie let off a low whistle.

Dan frowned. "I don't know what her problem is. I mean, it's just a game, right?"

"Maybe it's just stress," Julie pointed out. "She's been very tired lately, poor thing. It's probably all catching up with her. Lack of sleep can turn _anyone's_ smile upside-down, even someone as nice as Alice."

"I sure hope that's all that's the case," Marucho said, shaking his head.

"I never really noticed before, but..." Runo trailed off for a moment with furrowed brows. "Alice... She was never happy being with the Brawlers."

"Huh? What?" Julie prodded.

"What do you mean by that?" demanded Dan. "She was always smiling, and she's always been the best strategist, even if she doesn't play. She always seemed so alive when handling Bakugan! She was practically born to brawl!"

"I should have expected as much from _you_ , _Dan_ ," Runo snapped. "Ugh, _boys_."

"Hey!" Dan yelped.

"No _offense_ , Marucho."

"None taken," Marucho said dismissively.

" _Hey_!" Dan interjected indignantly.

"Danny," Julie said gently. "You can smile _without_ being happy."

"It was always an inconvenience for her to come to our meetings," Runo said. "She almost always had 'somewhere important to be' or 'groceries to buy'. I always figured she was busy, but she lives alone with her grandfather. It not like the house gets all that dirty with only two residents. There's not really much for her to be busy actually doing, and it was never any extra trouble for Marucho to fly by to pick her up. I never really thought about it before."

"Eh?" Dan blinked. "What are you guys trying to say, that she doesn't like Bakugan?!" he accused loudly as though it were the most unspeakable crime in the world or otherwise.

"Dan!" Marucho interjected before Dan could jump to any loud conclusions that might accidently stick with the other Battle Brawlers. "That's not necessarily the case! We're all really just making a mountain out of a mole-hill here!" The others quieted down. "From the beginning, we always respected her decision not to brawl. She has her reasons, and they are _obviously_ no business of ours! Just because she has Bakugan now, it should not change anything!"

"But you heard her Bakugan," Dan protested. "It want's to-"

" _Dan_ , just drop it!" yelled Runo, cutting him off. The bluenette sighed. "Well said, Marucho." The small Aquos Brawler nodded. "It's no business of ours, and it is likely we hurt her feelings." She scratched the back of her head. "I'm going to have to apologize. You all should do the same, especially you, _Dan_."

The Pyrus Brawler huffed and turned away, as the others logged-out, no longer in the mood for conversation in the current atmosphere.

* * *

"Years... _Years_ , I tell you. I have been crafting my persona before others for _years_. _All that work_... Do you realize, Reaper, just _what_ exactly you have jeopardized?"

Alone in the center of her room, Alice stood trembling with anger, teeth clenched, left hand stiffly clenching and unclenching, and right tightly squeezing a silent Reaper. After a moment of dead silence, a sound started low in her throat, slowly and menacingly like shriek in the dead of night, and gradually clawed its way out...

 _ **"GgrRrraaaaagghhHH!"**_ Alice screamed in a fit of uncontrollable fury, hurling Reaper's form against the wall with all her might and imbedding his spherical form into the plaster with a solid _crack_.

Reaper baffled at the brain-rattling force; he was glad to be fully-closed at the moment. Normal people did _not_ have the physical strength to imbed things smaller than a golf ball and nearly as light as a dart into walls just by throwing them. Alice's delicate frame _definitely_ didn't suggest that kind of strength. There was definitely more to that odd power of hers than he had at first thought.

Reaper flinched near-unnoticeably, when Alice continued to glare at him wordlessly, saying everything with nothing at all, shaking in completely apoplectic fury, her brown eyes seeming to glow with a slight red tinge, as the room darkened with her aura.

At the moment, Alice could only continue to glare with all her malice, trying to understand the infuriating creature before her. She paid no mind to the fact that she had stuck him solidly into the plaster with her throw; there were other matters to consider, like what _exactly_ she was supposed to _do_ with him.

This could not be allowed to go on, Alice decided. Reaper was only getting more and more stir crazy and even more rebellious and violent. There had to be _something_ she could do to make him just _stop_! And that would _not_ be _brawling_ with him! After a stunt like this, there was no _way_ she was letting him get his way! There had to be consequences!

She just glared harder, when she couldn't think of anything. _Damn_ him. She was so angry right now, that she _literally_ couldn't think straight! _'I seriously need to blow off some steam! Damn it all! I- Wait...'_

That's _it_. It was so simple, that it was almost criminal, and it was entirely ironic. There would be no better way to punish him for this transgression. A nasty, menacing grin spread across Alice's face; it was not a pretty sight to behold on the bedraggled girl.

Alice stepped over and plucked Reaper from the wall, holding him up closely to her face.

Almost casually, she asked with sickly sweetness, " _So_ , I understand you've been feeling a bit down in the dumps lately, Reaper. Bored out of your purple skull, perhaps? _Bloodlust_ at a maximum?"

For a moment, Reaper baffled at her sudden change of pace and wondered if she might have suddenly, incomprehensibly snapped from the stress somehow. So, it was entirely understandable that -for once- he cautiously and unsurely answered, "... _Yes_?"

She smiled at him. It was _not_ a nice smile. A feeling of intense foreboding dropped heavily into the bottom of Reaper's gut, and he felt his hackles rise further still, when she grinned sweetly, whilst her dark aura projected at full-blast around her body.

"Well now, that's no good, is it?" Alice asked with false sweetness in her voice. "As it just so happens, I have some _serious_ steam to blow off right now. _Unfortunately_ , there aren't too many good outlets for this kind of thing." She took a pretend contemplative pose with a big, loud sigh and then exaggeratedly snapped her fingers. "Well, there's always Bakugan brawling, but... _Oh wait_ , Alice Gehabich _definitely_ does not brawl. _Oh_ , no _no_ , that just would _not_ do."

She snapped her fingers again, and Reaper felt the pit in his stomach deepen. " _Ah_ , but of course!"

"What the _Doom_?" muttered Reaper incredulously, as motes of purple light expelled themselves from Alice's chest to her hand and flowed together, crackling and jerking, into a solid, 'w'-shaped, blue-lensed, black-banded mask, which Alice raised up to her face with her free left hand.

With the placement of the mask and a flash of multicolored light, Alice Gehabich's form melted away into blonde curls, purple pants, black shirt, gloves, and boots, and a short-sleeved, white trench coat. At the same time, Reaper felt Alice's body open itself up fully to her dark foreign energy, nearly quadrupling her aura and foreboding presence. He was sure that even humans would be able to feel it now.

Alice grinned and nodded, stating, "All right, this is good!" Reaper noticed there was now an unnatural echo to her voice. "But it isn't quite enough to be dressed fancy. The equipment must also tell a story!" Alice set Reaper down on top of her desk and opened the drawer, taking out a certain tin box and opening it to the sight of her menagerie of cards and Bakugan. Reaper could only watch in stunned silence, as she also clipped a deck-holder to her belt, which apparently came with her transformation, and loaded it easily with a multitude of Gate and Ability cards.

As she picked through her stash, Alice wondered to herself if she was _really_ going to actually go through with this -to in an instant of recklessness, break her silent oath, which she had upheld ever so faithfully, to _never_ brawl with Bakugan. "Hmm, so many excellent ones. It's so hard to decide," she mused tauntingly.

But as her fingers grazed over the sealed creatures from another dimension that she kept secluded inside a little tin box, she slowly realized that, _yes_ , yes she definitely _was_ doing this. "I guess I'll have to go with Mantris and Laserman; they're both good for what I have planned. But who will be my third...?"

* * *

Something Reaper had said before had stuck with her. _'There are your Bakugan's feelings to think about and not just your aversion to conflict!'_ Alice hated to admit it, but the violent Bakugan actually had a _point_.

 _All_ the Bakugan could talk; that was a certain fact; for, they were all sentient. They just chose not to speak out of some sense of fear or derision; or were still being driven mad by something Alice could still not guess at what. This conviction she was fueling with her reckless, impulsive _punishment_ for Reaper was also geared towards her own benefit and/or punishment.

She _desperately_ needed to get over this -as Reaper often put it- _ridiculous_ aversion to Bakugan brawling.

In a way, Alice realized bitterly, now that she thought about it, she might be even _worse_ than any of the other Brawlers. The very idea made her cringe. After all, despite being sealed and practically bound to do battle, what kind of horrid life must it be for Bakugan to slowly waste away motionless in a dark little box in a dark, little drawer?

No, that was no life. Alice realized with horror that it was closer to Hydranoid's birth world, the Doom Dimension, than anything else, except without the actual dying after an extended period of time part, but still... It was close enough, and that was living death.

Alice decided then and there that something about how she was handling this situation with the Bakugan would _have_ to change. If she wanted the Bakugan free from their bindings at the hands of children and Hal-G's manipulations, she would have to be proactive.

There could be no more silent, hidden hatred of the way things were. After all, as Alice had heard some wise -if maybe slightly biased- person once said, if you weren't a part of the solution, you were part of the problem.

Now, that didn't mean she would be protesting _anything_ as herself in public. Oh _no_ , she needed her façade to continue on indefinitely. For now, this persona that she could become with her Silent energy would be her sole channel of justice and vengeance for the sake of the Bakugan.

This body would be her instrument of change in this world with which she would exact punishment upon all the brawlers out there, who deserved it, and, of course, when she gathered enough skill in her powers, Naga and Hal-G!

* * *

"Hmm, I suppose Siege will do..." Alice plucked the knight Bakugan from the tin and slipped it into her pocket along with Mantris and Laserman.

" _No_..." And all at once, Reaper realized what she intended to do, and he was both enraged and proud of the brat. Now _that_ was how to get even. Alice's brief lapse from her act to grin vindictively at him was all the proof he needed to confirm his assessment. He had awoken the sleeping dragon, and the dragon was rearing to level the entire countryside in spite.

Alice sighed in mock disappointment. "It's so unfortunate, however, that the Battle Brawlers have already associated you with the Alice everyone knows and loves. _She_ can't be seen brawling! _No_ , _certainly_ not!" She grinned maliciously. "But I'm not her, am I? We look nothing alike. It's _truly_ unfortunate that you're Alice's Bakugan, and I'm not Alice -a _true_ tragedy. _So_ , it looks like you'll just have to sit back quietly and watch the fun."

Reaper stared at her in muted horror. "Pure _Evil_. That's what you are. You _wouldn't_ really be that cruel. You'd really brawl for the first time and leave me out of the action -all to get _even_?"

Alice grinned at him deviously, blue mask lenses glimmering. " _I would_. After all, I'm not Alice; I couldn't possibly be. I'm someone else entirely. _Unfortunately_ , the name's still a bit of a work in progress, but I'm sure something appropriate will come to me in time." She smirked. "Remember this moment, and use it as an example for next time -if you so dare. Use it as proof, that I can give as good as I get, and I'll be dirty about it."

 _'Well, I was certainly asking for it -all things considered, and I definitely_ got _it.'_ Reaper let out a mental sigh. Suddenly, this was looking to become a _very_ long, torturous day, because Alice was going to drag him along and make him _watch_.

* * *

 **AN: And another one bites the dust! Glad to see people like what they read so far!**

 **Tried to keep everyone in character. Well, except for Alice, cause she's definitely AU, and I'm just bad at writing super-nice people, but I'll try to do it better for her later on.**

 **Other than that, Runo is loud and temperamental (but still tries to be a good friend to Alice), and I see her as a redeemable character, Julie is Julie, really *shrug*, Marucho is shy and geeky (but becomes forward when needing to defend others), and Dan *sigh* is as brash and loud-mouthed as ever (You can _not_ deny that he has little semblance of a brain-to-mouth filter in the first season. Don't mean to bash him if at all, but it's just how he comes off as being to me).**

 **I hope you people like what I'm doing with Reaper. He's someone I'm really trying to keep mostly in character.**

 **R &R! I'd appreciate it a ton. I love constructive criticism; anything to be a better writer for all of your enjoyment. Try to avoid flames if you can; Alice isn't really a fan of Pyrus. ;D**


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